


The Meaning of a Word

by 5BlackRoses



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Consent Issues, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Minor Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Minor Injuries, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Oblivious Steve Rogers, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Post-Avengers (2012), Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, nosy Natasha, she's trying to be anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2018-08-16 15:15:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8107144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5BlackRoses/pseuds/5BlackRoses
Summary: in which Tony "forgot" to tell Pepper what happened in college, there is some serious miscommunication and Natasha sticks her nose in everyone's business.





	1. Chapter 1

Once they started dating, it didn't take Pepper very long to figure out that something was not quite right, though it took her a lot longer to figure out what. Tony would kiss her, hold her hand, give her massages, all without prompting, however he would stop immediately if she made any indication of not wanting it. What he didn't initiate was sex. That felt a little off to Pepper, but she ignored it for the most part.

Then, there was one night when she couldn't ignore it anymore. Pepper had been feeling a bit down, work had been hard, and she wanted sex. So, she kissed and touched and pulled Tony into their bedroom and started undressing, all the while continuing to make her desires known.

Tony didn't really seem particularly enthusiastic, which was strange because he was erect and known to enjoy sex. Pepper had an idea. It was probably a bad one, but she figured "what's the harm in trying?" Pulling away from him a little, she looked him in the eyes. "Do you want this, Tony?" she asked him.

He shrugged, looking away. "Does it matter?"

The offhand tone of the words sent her scrambling away from him, off the bed, retreating until her back hit the door. "Of course it matters, Tony. How could it not?"

"It never has before," he muttered quietly.

Pepper burst into tears; she had tried to contain it, but failed. Reaching out to him, Pepper approached the bed, only remembering at the last second that Tony hadn't consented to her touch. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I had no idea that I was... I was ra..."

She collapsed on the bed, several feet away from him. Tony was immediately sitting up, "no, Pep, it wasn't like that. You didn't do that."

"Didn't I?" she asked miserably, remembering how he always asked for permission when he started something, even before kissing her.

"Pepper, honey, I know when I enjoy something, my body makes itself pretty clear," Tony gestured to his half-erection that still hadn't gone down completely.

"That's not the same thing as consent," she protested, continuing to cry.

He reached our to offer comfort, which she accepted, laying her head on his lap. It wasn't awkward because Pepper sobbing was an erection-killer for him. He stroked her hair gently, "shhh, it's okay, babe. You're gonna be fine."

"Are you?" Pepper asked, sitting up.

"Of course," he responded, "always."

"That's no kind of answer, Tony. How long have I been r..."

"Never," he promised, "you never did that to me."

"Yes I did, Tony," her voice rose, "rape is defined as sexual activity carried out against the will of a person who doesn't or cannot consent!"

"Pepper, calm down!" they were both yelling by that point.

"I can't Tony, don't you get that?!"

"It's my fault, okay? I shouldn't have said that. For the future, my answer is always yes."

Tony's volume decreased as he spoke, almost reaching a normal volume. Pepper however, was still yelling as she climbed off the bed, backing up towards the door. "I'm leaving Tony, I can't be here until you understand the concept of consent!"

As she left, she could hear Tony crying too, begging her to come back.

On her way into the elevator, Pepper encountered Steve, exiting. "I heard yelling," he explained.

Pepper nodded, rubbing away a stray tear, "everything's fine, Steve. Please go back to your own floor."

"Ms. Potts, are you alright?" Steve had noticed that she was red eyed and only partially dressed.

"Please, just go!"

The captain complied, and Pepper stretched out on the couch, trying to calm herself. At some point during the night, a blanket draped itself over her legs for which she was grateful. At least initially. Then she realized that only Tony could have placed it there, meaning he probably hadn't slept at all and would be holed up in the workshop for a while.

Pepper got dressed for work and took the elevator to the appropriate floor. When Tony stumbled through the communal kitchen on his search for coffee, he came across Steve and Clint. Thor was visiting Jane, Natasha was on a solo shield mission which Clint wasn't taking well, and Bruce had gone back into hiding. The archer was sitting on the counter with coffee, still adjusting to being awake, while the super soldier was eating a breakfast fit for 3 normal sized adult males.

Making his way to the coffee pot, Tony was not expecting to encounter a Steve sized fist. He reached for the pot before the blow made contact, landing the genius in the floor with blood spilling from his cheek and boiling coffee splashed across his left wrist.

Tony didn't have time to react before the next blow landed. Still caffeine free, he just lay there, wondering what he had done to piss Steve off this time. The super soldier continued to attack the inventor until Clint pulled him off.

Tony scrambled backwards, pulling himself to his feet, using the counter for support. _I can't deal with this,_ he thought _need coffee,_ and backed out of the kitchen, going straight to the workshop. He would send one of the bots to get coffee later, one of the more indestructible ones.

"What the hell was that about?" Clint exclaimed when Tony had left.

Steve was cleaning the coffee off the floor, "despicable person," he muttered, "people like that don't deserve to be alive."

Clint almost backed up at the force of the super soldier's words, "what did Stark do?" he asked, Steve had a slightly different definition of despicable than the rest of the people living in the Tower.

"That's not my secret to tell, Clint."

"No! No, you don't get to just attack a friend like that with no explanation."

Steve made a face, "fine, not a friend," Clint amended, "the guy who's tower we are living in."

"I overheard something last night. Accidentally."

That was all Steve would say on the subject, and but it was the most information Clint could get. He knew that Tony's AI wouldn't let him snoop around the penthouse, and neither the inventor nor his girlfriend were particularly forthcoming on personal matters.

Clint calmed himself with the knowledge that Natasha would be coming back soon. _She'll know what do to,_ he decided, _Tasha will figure it all out._

Natasha came back the next day. By the time she had showered and made it into the communal kitchen, Pepper was in Malibu on an unplanned business trip, and Steve had pulverized almost every punching bag in the gym. Tony hadn't been seen for more than 20 hours, and Clint was distressed to say the least.

Given that the archer didn't know what was going on, he told his partner everything he knew and retreated to the range. Natasha headed for the workshop. The level headed Russian was never shocked by anything, at least until she entered the lab to find Tony bruised and beaten, lying on a couch and staring blankly at the ceiling.

"What happened to you?" she asked, noting that he didn't startle and replied without pause.

"Had an argument with Rogers."

"Usually your disagreements with Steve damage him more than you."

"I thought it was time for a change," Tony snarked.

Natasha took it all in stride, she had known him since before the palladium incident and had grown to appreciate his snarky humor and his sarcasm. "What did you do to piss him off this time?" she asked.

Tony shrugged, "who knows, maybe he just needed to work off some stress," the inventor began fiddling with a metallic device he'd found seemingly between the couch cushions, his bandaged hand lying still.

"And decided to take it out on your face?"

"Even the good old Capsicle has bad days," Tony moved to his work bench, fingers gently probing his face.

"I repeat, on a teammate's face?"

"Big green had it right, itsy bitsy, this isn't a team, it's a time bomb."

Natasha nodded, as much as she'd hoped otherwise, objectively she knew that Bruce had been right.

"May I check out the damage?" she asked, reaching for him, but stopping just short of actually contact.

Tony looked surprised, like he hadn't expected her to actually want an answer. Natasha had intended to check out his injuries without waiting for permission, but his response keyed her in to an issue; she waited. "Sure," Tony answered finally.

The spy approached him, gently probing at the injuries. As she unwrapped the bandage around his wrist and arm to look at the bruising, she sighed. _Why do I care so damn much?_

"Virginia is in Malibu. That wasn't on her calendar. Why did she go?"

"Because I'm a fuckup of a boyfriend," Tony muttered.

"What did she do to you?" Natasha asked; she knew Tony well enough to be certain that he hadn't done anything to Pepper.

At that point the inventor kicked her out of the workshop, so Natasha went to speak with Steve. Clint was a good spy, but he knew that Steve was too stuck to his morals to let anything spill, so he didn't bother trying. Also, Clint didn't care about Tony the way Natasha did;  he cared just enough to call her to come fix the situation.

There were only ever three men who could resist Natasha's charms, and Steve Rogers wasn't one of them.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha does some poking around and get basically no where

Natasha found Steve in the gym, as always, beating a bag of sand. The last bag of sand in fact; he'd punched holes through the others. "Easy there, tiger," she sauntered in, "what'd that bag ever do to you?"

"It's either this or Stark's face," Steve spat, taking a break to chug an entire water bottle.

"What did he do this time?" Natasha asked casually, lounging against the wall.

"Something he shouldn't have."

"Well that's not much of an answer," she kept her tone light.

"Look Romanoff, it's not my place to share..." Steve began, but it didn't take much convincing before he'd communicated, "Stark forced himself on his girlfriend."

Natasha shook her head, "No, Rogers. Whatever you saw or heard, it wasn't rape. He wouldn't do that, especially not to her."

“Since when do you have such faith in his morals?”

“My faith in his morals is irrelevant. I've known Stark for a long time. He wouldn't do that to anyone; he knows enough to ask for consent.”

"I know what I heard, Romanoff. You shouldn't be this naive. I read your file, you may not have been raised with good examples of proper consent, but you've been here long enough-"

Natasha cut him off, still calm as ever, "I know what rape is, I think you do as well. You heard part of conversation and misinterpreted it."

The tone of finality in her voice crushed any response Steve might have come up with.

 

* * *

 

Natasha knew what she needed to do, but that didn't mean she liked it. Why had it fallen to her to fix everybody else's problems? It probably had something to do with her need to know everything all the time. Certain things, once you knew them, you couldn't sit back and do nothing.

Her next SHIELD mission was passed off to another agent, and Natasha took several days off from all work. Talking to Pepper would likely prove useless and talking to Tony never yielded any more information than he wanted her to know, leaving only one option.

Natasha called Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes.

 

* * *

 

Rhodey had never liked Natasha, and he certainly didn't trust her. It might have had something to do with her spying on his best friend and not telling him and Pepper that Tony was dying. There was also the fact that she was an assassin and a spy, 2 professions Rhodey frowned upon to say the least. Still, all Natasha had to say to get the man on a flight to New York was, “there is something wrong with Tony.”

“I'm on my way,” he answered immediately, thanking whatever powers were out there that he was not on active duty.

She was about to hang up, but he continued talking. “What happened?” Rhodey asked.

“I really don't know,” she replied, “he got in a fight with Virginia and then he let Steve beat him up.”

“What?!”

“There's something wrong with him.”

It might not have been the truth exactly, but it produced the desired result which was good enough for Natasha. With that taken care of, she returned to the workshop to pester the genius inventor at work there.

 

* * *

 

 

“Stark,” she began, “Tony, what happened?”

He ignored her.

“What happened?” she asked, more insistently.

“You're going to have to be more specific. Would you like to know what happened to the top hat Abe wore to the theatre? Or perhaps you want to know what happened immediately following the end of the Ming Dynasty? Or is it-”

“You know what I mean,” Natasha cut him off, “what happened between you and Virginia, 2 days ago?

“I don't think that is any of your business,” Tony muttered, most of his attention focused on the holograms spinning beneath his fingers.

“Given that it lead to Steve pummeling your face, I'm making it my business.”

“That's not how this works.”

“It is now.”

He didn't respond.

“Steve seems to think that you raped her, or at least attempted to. Now why is that?”

All of a sudden, Natasha had Tony's full attention. “I wouldn't do that!” he ground out, “I know you guys don't like me, but do you really think I'm that low?!”

“I just asked why Steve thinks what he does. I never said that anyone else believes it.”

“Pfft. If the great and wondrous Capsicle says it, it must be fact. Right?”

“Tony, stop messing around and tell me what he heard.”

“Since when do you call me by my first name?” the genius had noticed the change earlier, but saved it as a distraction for later.

“Thought I'd give it a try. So, what did Steve hear?”

Tony ignored her. “Jay, what do you think about red roses and those chocolates Pep likes?”

“That depends on the intention behind the gift, Sir,” the AI replied smoothly.

“Well, white tulips represent forgiveness I think, but Pep hates tulips so make that white lilies,” Tony thought aloud as JARVIS projected the holographic bouquet, Natasha's presence seemingly forgotten.

“Insipid. How about violet jasmine? Pepper's always wearing that perfume with jasmine right?”

“Ms. Potts' favorite perfume does list the essence of jasmine as a primary ingredient, Sir.”

The bouquet was adjusted accordingly and to Natasha it looked quite nice, but what did she know about flowers? Tony didn't seem quite as appreciative of the design. After messing around with different colors and meanings, the inventor settled on a combination of white lilies with violet centers and fragrant jasmine flowers. “What do you think?” he asked finally.

“It's lovely,” Natasha replied quietly just as JARVIS answered with, “most inspired.”

“Onto the chocolates,” Tony announced, “this bit is easy. Sugarbun, you know the specialty shop, right?”

The AI didn't deign to answer, almost like he was insulted by the suggestion that he might not know what specialty chocolate shop Pepper favored. “Caramel filled, she loves those. Nix the ones with coconut cream or shavings. Definitely include the ones with Kahlua. Other than that, make it a variety.”

“As you wish, Sir,” JARVIS responded, his tone sounding just on the mechanical side of fond, “Ms. Potts will no doubt appreciate your gift.”

“Delivery to the office in Malibu, not the house. Lord knows that woman would never stop working if she didn't have to.”

“Of course.”

Tony went back to inventing, or whatever it was he did in his workshop, Natasha wasn't quite sure, blasting AC/DC so loud that the spy had to leave. Colonel Rhodes wasn't going to arrive for several hours, so Natasha figured she would go spend some _quality time_ with Clint; it had been a long mission.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of the chapter and what you think could happen in the future of this story. I am always open to constructive criticism.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Rhodey

Natasha and Clint were mostly dressed and lounging in the kitchen when Rhodey arrived. He appeared exhausted and mildly annoyed, but primarily concerned. “What happened?”

“Rogers punched Stark,” Clint replied, “he'll be fine.”

“Tony or Rogers?” Rhodey inquired, not expecting an answer.

“Steve overheard part of an argument between Tony and Virginia, and he misinterpreted it. She's in Malibu, Tony's in the workshop, and Steve is in the gym beating up punching bags because we won't let him beat up Tony again,” Natasha clarified.

“What does he think Tony did?”

“Steve is under the impression that Tony forced himself on her.”

Rhodey didn't reply. Setting down his bag, he headed for the elevator.

“What do you think will happen?” Clint asked from his perch on the counter.

“Colonel Rhodes will figure it out,” his partner replied.

She was sitting at the island, spinning a knife between her fingers. Physical affection wasn't Natasha's forte and after being in such close proximity to Clint for the past few hours, she needed some space. He had known her long enough to appreciate that she could even tolerate being honestly affectionate at all.

As the two spies were considering a 2nd round, both of their phones rang. Simultaneous ringing meant that they were both being called into work, so they only answered Clint's.

“Barton and Romanoff,” the archer said, putting the phone on speaker.

“Tickets, identification, and equipment are at the drop site in Little Italy. Wheel's up in 3 hours.”

“Confirmed,” they replied in unison before hanging up.

Clint and Natasha were out of the building in less than 10 minutes. While were driving 20 miles over the speed limit towards Little Italy, Rhodey was trying to get into Tony's lab. It took him considerably longer than 10 minutes.

 

* * *

 

“Tones,” Rhodey greeted when JARVIS finally let him in.

The inventor turned around immediately, actually hearing his friend's entrance because the AI had turned off his music. “Noooo,” he whined, “don't turn off my music! Jay, turn it up, will you?”

“I believe Col. Rhodes has something to say,” the uncooperative AI replied.

“You're on his side now?”

“Agent Romanoff called me,” Rhodey interrupted before JARVIS could answer.

“The itsy bitsy spider,” Tony muttered, turning back to his welding, “never stops spying, does she?”

Though the inventor grumbled about the Russian assassin he'd invited to move in from time to time, she was probably his favorite of all his super-powered house guests (the loveable green rage ball had gone back into hiding). He didn't trust her (he didn't have any trust to spare beyond Pepper and Rhodey), but there was something about her that he liked. Perhaps, in another world, he and Natasha could have been friends.

“Tones,” Rhodey pulled the genius from his contemplation, “what happened between you and Pepper?”

Tony had known Rhodey for long enough that he knew to answer the question rather than trying to change the subject. “Pep and I got in an argument,” he stared at the floor, biting his lip, “I apologized already, you don't need to remind me. I sent flowers and chocolates. You wanna see?”

JARVIS pulled up the images of Tony's final floral arrangement and the elegant box of chocolates, but Rhodey wasn't exactly interested. “Flowers are for when your girlfriend is sulking at a friend's house, not when she flew to the other side of the country. What did Rogers overhear that got him so worked up?” Rhodey reached out to unwrap the burn-dressing on Tony's arm and was quickly waved away.

“Pep and I were... you know, and I did something wrong, maybe it was an enthusiasm problem... anyway, she asked me if I really wanted to... you know, and I answered wrong,” Tony was known to be uncensored when speaking about sex, but when it had to do with Pepper, he always got a bit awkward.

“Tony,” Rhodey began slowly, sitting down a stool that was nearby and looking up at his friend, “there is no wrong answer to _that_ question. You should know that by now.”

The genius fiddled with the metal scraps on the table, taking a while to answer. “Remember in college?” he asked, “that time when I thought you were at the library but you weren't.”

“Don't remind me! I will never un-see that!”

“No, the _other_ time.”

“Oh.”

“You remember what she said?”

“Tony, please tell me this isn't going where I think it's going,” Rhodey's shoulders fell slightly.

“No can do, platypus. That girl, she asked me... and I asked her... and the answer was 'no' but that didn't matter...”

“I remember, Tony. I had to take you to the ER to get your stomach pumped after your attempt to 'deal' as you called it.”

“It wasn't just that one time, Rhodey,” Tony refused to meet his friend's eyes, “it didn't stop.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Rhodes talk

The colonel had to take a moment to process the information. “Why didn't you tell me?” he asked, near tears, but also angry, “I could have helped!”

Tony offered no response and they descended into a long moment of emotionally charged silence. “For all that time, you just let me yell at you about the drinking and the drugs...” his friend said softly, almost to himself, “you just took it and never said anything...”

“What would I have said?” Tony asked, directing his empty gaze at his friend.

“I don't know, how about, 'I'm trying to cope with being regularly and sporadically assaulted, give me a break,' that would have worked,” Rhodey tried and failed not to yell; the anger building up inside him and changing direction from Tony and Steve to his past self.

At the word “assaulted,” the inventor jerked away violently like he had been struck. In a way, he had.

“I'm sorry, Tones,” Rhodey amended, “that was unfair. I hate to see you in so much pain.”

“I'm fine,” Tony replied, “don't worry about me.”

“I can't help it, you know that.... Pepper worries too, why didn't you tell her?”

“Rhodey,” the genius grabbed a wrench, moving over to the garage area where a partially deconstructed '67 Impala was waiting, “It's disgusting! She would never look at me the same again. I don't need or want her pity.”

Rhodey sat down heavily on a stool, watching his friend adjust screws, trying to think of a way in which Tony could explain the situation to Pepper without being pitied by her. He signed, “how do you plan to fix this?” he asked finally.

“I told you, I sent flower and chocolates. She'll come back, if only to hear me apologize and grovel before dumping my sorry ass,” one screw received a particularly vicious yank.

“I'm not sure you really understand what happened...”

“I was there. You weren't. As far as sources of information go, I'm first hand, you're second. Sorry, hun.”

“Do you at least get why Pepper said what she did?” Rhodey asked, exasperated.

“Doesn't matter,” Tony muttered, burying one hand further into the car's guts.

“No, Tones, this is important! Why exactly is she so upset?”

When his friend didn't respond, Rhodey sighed, sitting down again. “Let's run through this slowly,” he said, “you and Pepper were heading towards sex, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you weren't really into it?”

“I'm always into sex with Pep,” Tony began, changing his answer when he saw Rhodey's expression, “maybe I was a little tired,” he admitted.

“So, then she asked you if you actually wanted to have sex?”

“Mmm.”

“And then what?”

“I don't know! I might have asked her if it mattered.”

“And that's when everything went wrong?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I think I understand. Get your head out of the car and listen to me,” Rhodey ordered.

“Listening,” Tony sounded a bit like a petulant teenager.

“Look man, you know the basics of consent, if someone says no, don't force them. That rule doesn't only apply outside of romantic relationships. Even if a couple has been together for ages, it still matters if each person actually wants to participate; consent always matters. Even when you're 'Tony Fucking Stark'!”

“Pep puts up with so much of my shit, honeybear, the least I can do is give her what she wants when I can.”

“That's not how this works!”

“It's not like I'm a virgin,” Tony replied, “I know how to make her feel good when she wants sex.”

“What about your wants?”

“Are you actually telling me to be selfish?”

It took a lot of self control for Rhodey to keep his hands to himself and not put a dent in one of the tables. He took a deep breath. “Do you think that Pepper wants to have a non-consenting partner? Do you think she wants to force herself, even via emotional manipulation, on another person?”

“No! Pep isn't like that. She would never!”

“Exactly. That's why she backed off. She would never to that to you. To anyone.”

Tony began to pace, “this is different!”

After a long pause the inventor spoke again.”So, I just say 'yes' next time?” he asked hopefully.

“Fuck, Tony! I didn't realize how messed up this was. I'm not even sure if you are capable of consenting right now.”

“Of course I am!” Tony was nearly yelling, “I know what I want.”

“But you don't seem to think that your wants matter during sex,” Rhodey replied sadly.

The genius seemed a bit uncomfortable, “my wants matter, but Pepper's are more important.”

“Fine,” the colonel sighed, “Pepper's wants can take precedence over yours most of the time, that's okay. But when it comes to consent, your wants and hers need to be the same.”

When his friend didn't respond, Rhodey got up, heading for the door. “I have to head for D.C.” he said, “please. Please get on a flight to Malibu and talk to her.”

Tony was sad that his friend was leaving, but he knew that the conversation with Pepper had to happen eventually. “Jay, make the arrangements please.”

“Gladly, Sir.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and let me know what you think! Suggestions are also welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some angst and a bit of fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for so long between updates...

JARVIS was concerned. Though usually hyper-verbal to the point of annoying the humans around him, Tony had not spoken a word to anyone, his loyal AI included, since arranging the flight. The inventor had packed a bag in silence, boarded the plane with a nod to the pilot, and dismissed the flight attendants with some polite hand gestures.

As the Audi pulled into the Malibu house's drive, JARVIS did his best to engage his creator in conversation though Tony's ever present earpiece. He even went so far as to go over the specific temperatures of every room, though he knew the man's exact preferences. “Sir, please,” he began, sliding the front door open, “talk to me. I would very much like to be of assistance.”

Tony smiled sadly, moving towards the master bedroom slowly. “I'm afraid there isn't much you can do about this one, buddy,” he said softly, trailing his fingers against the wall, “I'm just here to make sure Pepper has what she needs and apologize again.”

“Sir, from my analysis of your conversations with both Colonel Rhodes and Miss Potts herself, I have gathered that-”

“Please Jay, I can't do this right now!” Tony interrupted.

“Very well, Sir,” JARVIS replied, a bit of annoyance mixed into his concerned tone.

Tony put down his bag, moving to the bathroom to get himself cleaned up and looking presentable enough for if/when Pepper came back from work. He replaced the bandage covering the burns on his wrist, silently cursing Steve for wasting perfectly good coffee, and covered most of the bruises with light makeup.

Over the years, Tony had perfected the art of applying undetectable concealer. For some reason, Pepper insisted on doing his makeup for press conferences even though she knew he was capable, but he wasn't going to fight it. In 20 minutes, the bruises were covered as were the bags underneath his eyes.

Having already changed clothing and washed away all the grease, Tony decided that he shouldn't go to the workshop. Usually, he'd make a beeline for his personal sanctuary upon arrival, but this time the inventor had come to Malibu with only one purpose, and he was determined to stay on task. With the workshop eliminated as an option, Tony contemplated what to do while he waited for Pepper.

“What do you think, Jay,” he asked, “what should I do right now?”

“Completing the paperwork in her red folder, would likely please Miss Potts greatly,” he suggested.

The red folder was where Pepper put the longterm paperwork with which she was having difficulty, it existed in both physical and electronic forms. The physical version always traveled to work with her, but Tony had access to the electronic forms wherever he went. Suddenly Tony had an idea. “Food! Pepper likes when I cook for her, right? “

“Indeed, Sir. Miss Potts prefers home-cooked meals to takeout or going to a restaurant. If you recall the Ciceri e Tria that you made for her birthday last year...” JARVIS replied.

“That's it then,” Tony exclaimed, feeling almost happy for the first time in several days, “I'll cook dinner and finish her paperwork if there's any waiting time.”

“I'm afraid that not all of the ingredients for Ciceri e Tria are present in the house, Sir,” JARVIS informed him.

“I'm thinking Pansotti alla Genovese, Jay. I remember her mentioning that once,” Tony poked through the pantry, fridge, and kitchen cabinets, “looks like I'm going shopping.”

 

* * *

 

Contrary to popular belief, Tony did not order his groceries online or have them delivered. He enjoyed going to stores and farmers' markets because doing so brought back fond memories of childhood food-shopping with his mother and Ana Jarvis. Wearing a hat or hood with sunglasses and more casual clothing, Tony usually managed to avoid too much recognition when he went shopping. Grocery stores and the like were filled with people focused on getting what they needed quickly and getting out; no one cared who else happened to be shopping at the same time.

Slipping on sunglasses and pulling up the hood of an old MIT sweatshirt, Tony got into his least ostentatious car and headed out. First, he went to the farmers' market, taking his time and buying far more than was actually necessary. Tony only needed the ingredients for dinner and perhaps some essentials, but somehow he ended up buying 2 pints of homemade ice cream, a bottle of fancy olive oil, and some fresh bread as well.

Next, he headed for Pacific Coast Greens, the local “healthy” grocery store. This part turned out a lot harder than Tony had expected. The ingredients for dinner were easy enough, but everything else was far more difficult. Sure, he knew what Pepper liked to eat, but he had no idea about brands; he did know she got specific about them, though.

“Mister, you look real confused,” a voice said to his right.

Tony turned to find a little girl with long red pigtails watching him, her hands on her hips.

“I suppose I am a little confused,” he smiled at her, “could you help me?”

She giggled, “maybe...”

“See, my problem is that I'm trying to buy food for my friend, but I don't know what brands she likes.”

The kid nodded sagely, “that's why Papa does all the shopping. Daddy never gets the right brands and stuff.”

“My friend usually does her own shopping, but I want to surprise her,” Tony had squatted a bit so he was at eye level for the little girl, “does your daddy ever do that for your papa?”

She nodded again. “Daddy bought a cake for Papa's birthday,” she told him, “it got squished somehow, but Papa still laughed and said thank you.”

At that moment, a slightly harried looking man carrying a sleeping infant rounded the corner, catching sight of the two. “Emma,” he called, “I was looking for you.”

“Sorry, Papa,” she replied, putting on her sweetest smile.

The man turned to Tony, “I'm sorry if she bothered you, Sir.”

“No worries,” the inventor replied, “I think Emma here gave me some really good advice.”

The man shifted the infant gently to his other shoulder, reaching out for Emma's hand. As the 3 were walking down the aisle towards the registers, Emma turned around. “It was nice meeting you, Mister.”

“You too, honey,” he replied with a fond smile.

As Tony payed for the groceries and helped the cashier with the bagging, he couldn't get Emma out of his head. Walking to the car, he imagined having a daughter of his own, brushing her hair, telling her bedtime stories about Aunt Peggy's adventures with Mr. Jarvis, building architecturally sound lego castles together, coming up with complicated math questions when her homework was too simple, being wrapped around her pinky finger and absolutely loving it. Tony was so wrapped up in his imagination, that he almost missed the car entirely.

“Sir!” JARVIS exclaimed.

“Mm?”

“You are preoccupied. What is on your mind?”

“I was thinking about what it would be like to have a kid,” Tony replied softly, settling behind the wheel, “a little girl, maybe.”

“Have you discussed this with Miss Potts, Sir,” the AI asked, “my sources indicate that the possession of ovaries and a uterus is essential to the processes. Should you favor adoption, my sources suggest speaking to your partner or spouse before beginning the paperwork."

Tony chuckled, “It's up to Pep. If she doesn't want kids, I have no right push; kids need at least one competent parent... I was just thinking about it.”

“Sir, might I suggest that your conversation with Miss Potts tonight touch on your 'rights' in the relationship? I am not confident in your view on the subject.”

The two were silent for a long while. The Malibu scenery was quite lovely, and Tony, for once, didn't drive 10-20 miles over the speed limit, content to enjoy the view. Still, a few minutes before they reached the house, the inventor addressed the subject again. “Just hypothetically, Jay,” he began, “do you think I would be a good father?”

“Based on what criteria, Sir,” JARVIS asked gently.

“It's just that Howard... Dad didn't exactly do a great job, you know. I suppose he did his best, but I still wouldn't want that kind of parenting for my kid. What if I'm just like him?”

“My apologies, Sir, I have no advice for you on this matter. I would suggest asking Miss Potts.”

Tony smiled bitterly, pulling in to the garage, “we have more immediate issues to discuss right now, I think.”

Soon, the inventor focused his attention on fixing dinner and finishing Pepper's paperwork before the woman returned. He was definitely not ready to face the music.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations (mostly/all Pepper's POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has taken me so long to update. On the bright side, this is one of my longer chapters, I think.
> 
> (I should get around to updating some of my other fics soon)

 

Pepper crossed the driveway slowly, heading for the door to Tony's Malibu house; for some reason, he didn't like calling it a mansion. Their last interaction played over in her head as she climbed the steps and stood still to allow JARVIS to confirm her identity, one particular line standing out. “It never has before,” she muttered to herself, repeating Tony's words.

She'd asked him explicitly for consent and instead of giving or denying it, the man had responded by asking if she really care about his answer. Pepper had little experience with consent issues, but she was smart enough and moral enough to know that consent always mattered.

Hearing Tony say, “it never has before,” crushed Pepper. It was especially painful that he'd never told her or even suggested that he didn't want to be intimate. Looking back, she could think of several instances when Tony had been less than enthusiastic, and even once when he'd had trouble getting it up. That day he'd attended several long board meetings, hadn't slept for 48 hours at least, and was barely eating. Still, he'd managed to take care of her needs in other ways.

Pepper felt a burst of happiness when she saw Tony's phone on the table when she entered the house. A wave of nervous sadness followed. The chocolates and flowers came to mind; Pepper had known Tony long enough to know when he was trying to apologize. “It was my fault... not yours...” she murmured softly, setting down her briefcase.

Tony was in the kitchen, shirt unbuttoned, focused on the task at hand. He was wearing the apron she had gotten him as a joke 2 years earlier, and his sunglasses rested atop his head. She'd definitely had this dream before... well, he hadn't been wearing pants or a long-sleeved undershirt in the dream...

In fact, the genius was so focused on the cooking that he didn't notice Pepper's arrival. She wondered if JARVIS had informed Tony of her approach, in all likelihood the AI had done so, but she barged in on him without announcement often enough that he was used to it and sometimes didn't notice.

Since Tony was busy, Pepper took the opportunity to change into more comfortable clothes, and attempt to organize her thoughts simultaneously. She was only successful in completing the former. Though the master bedroom remained organized, Tony's presence in the house was evident in the slightly-more-full laundry basket, the his briefcase leaning against the wall, and the fresh flowers on her bedside table.

She scanned the room once more, searching for the tell-tale cuffs that could summon the Iron Man suit at a moment's notice. Pepper assumed that Tony was wearing them, and while she appreciated that he'd brought the cuffs instead of the more ostentatious suitcase, she couldn't help feeling sad that he didn't feel safe enough to remove them, even in his own home.

 

* * *

 

 

Dinner was lovely and the couple spent their evening chatting about SI and the Avengers and alternate dimensions. Pepper took some time to go over materials for the following day, while Tony cleaned up the kitchen (disassembled, upgraded, and reassembled the blender) until she emerged from the office.

“You did 75% of my paperwork.”

Tony shrugged, offering a small smile. “I could always get rid of the files if you wanted to do it yourself.”

Pepper returned the smile, glad for even a moment of normalcy in the relationship. They went over work stuff, and she managed to cajole the inventor into attending two meetings the next day before they both headed for the bedroom to begin their evening ablutions.

“I think it's time we talked,” Pepper said gently, sitting down on their bed.

Tony didn't respond. Though he'd originally had a whole plan of how to apologize, he had no idea what to say anymore. Sighing, he dried his face and hung up the towel, eventually moving into Pepper's line of sight and leaning against the bathroom doorframe. “Do we have to?” he asked, trying to sound like his usual self but failing.

“Not if you don't want to...” Pepper trailed off.

Tony pushed off the wall, heading for his side of the bed. He was very uncomfortable with the redhead's new attitude, silently cursing himself for inadvertently causing the change. “It's okay,” he replied, leaning back against the pillows that were propped against the headboard, “let's talk...”

They were both silent for a while, neither one knowing what to say first.

“I'm sorry,” they both chose to speak at the same time.

“Don't apologize” Pepper scooted back so she was sitting next to him, their arms not quite touching, “this one is on me.”

“Let me just say this,” she cut off his immediate protest, “I never meant to take advantage, and I am so sorry for not paying more attention to what you wanted.”

“Pep--”

“You don't have to give me everything I want, you know that, right? Relationships are supposed to go both ways; my desires matter, but no more than yours.”

“Look, you didn't do anything wrong,” Tony was quick to assure her, “I shouldn't have said anything.”

Pepper looked at him, trying to blink away her tears. He was staring straight ahead, not focusing on any one thing. “I'm glad you did say something,” she told him softly, “how many times?”

“What?”

“How many times have you wanted to say no but didn't? How many times did I disregard your consent?” Pepper was full on crying now.

Tony opened one arm, letting it rest on the pillows, an open invitation. She took it, curling into his side. Stroking her hair gently, he tried to think of a suitable response. “It doesn't matter,” he said finally, “it's all in the past.”

“Oh god, I'm a horrible person,” Pepper whispered like she was talking to herself.

“Never,” Tony protested, “you are a wonderful, beautiful, smart, talented, kind, woman whom I am lucky to know.”

She sniffled a bit, sitting up a little more. “From now on, never let me do anything that you don't completely want okay? Please tell me to stop when you don't want it.”

Tony readily agreed, but the conversation wasn't over yet. “When did it start?” Pepper asked, “was it just me?”

“You're gonna be disgusted,” he murmured, “you'll never see me in the same way again.”

“I promise, I won't be disgusted. I love you and nothing you could say would change how I feel.”

“I don't want your pity,” it was barely even a protest.

“Please tell me,” Pepper was basically pleading with him, “just tell me.”

“Well,” Tony began shakily, “there was this girl in college...”

Pepper nodded attentively, encouraging him to go on. It took him a minute, but eventually, Tony managed to continue. “She went to BC I think. Doesn't matter....” he trailed off, “Rhodey was out, so I brought her up.”

The genius paused again. “Do you really need to hear this, Pep?”

She nodded, lifting her head from his lap so she could meet his eyes for a moment. “Please?”

“We were kissing and whatever and she asked if I liked it and I asked if it mattered...” Tony rushed through the sentence before trailing off once more.

“She said no,” Pepper finished for him.

Tony murmured his assent, detangling his fingers from her hair, hand hovering like he was suddenly afraid to touch her. “She laughed.”

“I'm so sorry,” the redhead sat up so she could pull him into a hug, “I'm so so sorry.”

“It's no one's fault,” Tony returned the embrace but pulled away quickly, “and anyway, it only lasted for a few months, and Rhodey only walked in on us one time.”

Pepper didn't respond, letting Tony lay his head in her lap. She let one hand rest on his shoulder while the delicate manicured fingers of the other were intertwined with his dexterous and calloused ones. After a long moment of silence, Tony spoke up. “I started drinking around that time,” he told her, “and you know the rest.”

“I hate the girl for doing that to you, but I'm no different,” Pepper whispered, “a hundred apologies won't even cut it.”

“You aren't anything like her and you have nothing to apologize for, love. You didn't do anything wrong. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I know that I messed up again, but I promise, I'm trying to be better.”

Pepper took a moment to think after her initial shock wore off. “You didn't mess up, Tony. This one's on me for being too self absorbed and not thinking about how it's affecting you.”

“Pep, you put up with me now and have for far longer than most people can tolerate. I don't have the right to ask for anything more than that.”

“No!” Pepper couldn't help raising her voice a little, “you have every right!”

“A beautiful, kind, intelligent woman wants to sleep with me, even after everything I've done,” Tony began in a much softer voice, “who am I to deny you that? I'm no virgin.”

“You're 50% of this relationship, that's what.”

“If you don't want me anymore, I get it. Damaged goods and all,” Tony sighed.

“Of course I still want you!” Pepper exclaimed, “that's not the issue here. The problem is that I don't know if and when you actually want me!”

“Always.”

“That's not how it works...” Pepper said softly, running her fingers through Tony's hair, “we'll talk more tomorrow.”

Soon, the inventor was asleep, his head still resting in her lap. “Why can't you understand that I won't leave, even if you never want to sleep with me again?” Pepper asked his sleeping form, “how can you not get that I love you; that you matter?”

Confirming that his creator was in fact asleep, JARVIS spoke up. “Ma'am, I have some concerns about Sir's rights in this relationship.”

“I really am a horrible person, aren't I?” she asked him, tears returning to her eyes.

“That is not what I'm saying, my apologies for the confusion. My concerns stem from something Sir said earlier today about his rights to oppose your decisions or deny you anything, even outside of carnal relations....”

Pepper cried for a long time before she pulled the sheets over Tony and herself, curling into his chest unconsciously.

 

* * *

 

To her surprise, Pepper did not wake up alone. Even when Tony was in town, the space beside her in the almost-too-large bed would usually be empty come morning. It was a rare occasion that he didn't sneak off to his workshop around 3:00 AM, but that morning was such an occurrence. In fact, Tony was still asleep, hugging a pillow to his chest; he'd developed the habit after the Battle of New York.

One of Tony's sleeves had gotten pushed up during the night, revealing the tightly wrapped bandages beneath. The extent of the arm that was covered, concerned Pepper, but she figured that if he hadn't seen fit to tell her, it couldn't be that big of a deal. He'd probably spilled coffee on himself, or something.

Gently, she stroked his cheek, trying not to think about their conversation the previous night but also feeling guilty for avoiding the thought. Her fingers slid across his skin, pausing when they detected an unusual texture.

Makeup. He was wearing makeup. Tony always removed the stuff right after press conferences, preferring to wear dark sunglasses, even indoors, so it didn't make sense that he had worn it to bed. Dipping her finger in the water glass on the bedside table, Pepper tried to wipe off the makeup without waking Tony up. She was only partially successful.

“G'mornin' Pep,” he sat up slowly, unaware that part of one carefully hidden bruise had been exposed.

She leaned over and kissed him in loo of a response. He smiled, kissing her cheek lightly before getting up and heading for the bathroom. Pepper watched the door close, leaning back against the pillows as she remembered her conversation with Tony the night before and what JARVIS had told her after the inventor was asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper talks to Tony, Tony talks to JARVIS, and Natasha talks to Steve. Very little progress is made on any front.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update, writing and trying to update 5 fics at the same time is a really stupid idea. This chapter is a little longer than the usual though.

Tony stared at himself in the mirror for a long moment. Some of the makeup had come off during the night and part of his black-eye was visible. He hoped Pepper hadn't seen, but she was a very observant woman and he knew that. Quickly, Tony reapplied enough makeup to hide the bruise and exited the bathroom to find his girlfriend in bed, staring at the ceiling.

“So, what would you like for breakfast?” he asked, sitting down beside Pepper.

“We need to talk,” she replied.

“Isn't that what we did last night?”

“I mean about the bruises,” Pepper sat up, “and the bandages on your arms.”

“Oh.”

“That's not to say that we don't need to continue that other conversation,” she corrected herself, “but what happened to you face?”

“Don't worry about it,” Tony assured her, “Steve and I had a misunderstanding, that's all.”

“And the bandages?”

“I may have been holding very hot coffee when the misunderstanding occurred.”

Pepper sighed, “you didn't fight back, I'm guessing.”

Tony laughed lightly, “I'd rather not break my hand on Captain America's face,” he got up and began undressing, less careful now that Pepper knew about the burns, “it's all fine, don't worry about it.”

“I'm going to kill him,” Pepper stated, getting out of bed as well.

“Now, now, Pep, murdering national icons isn't your style,” Tony went over to the closet to choose a suit for the day.

“Maybe it should be,” she muttered, “I can't believe he just attacked you!”

Tony finished buttoning his shirt. “Aren't you going to ask what I did to deserve it?”

“Fine. What did you do to deserve it?”

“No idea. I'm sure he'll give me an earful next time we see each other.”

“Tony!” Pepper exclaimed, turning away from the many pairs of heels between which she was trying to choose, “it's not okay for him to just beat you up like that, even with a reason.”

“I'll deal with it later,” Tony attempted to sooth her growing anger, “let's just get though the meetings today. Next time I'm in New York, I'll talk to Cap.”

“When are you leaving?” Pepper couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice as lifted her hair to allow him to zip the back of her dress.

“Hopefully not for a while,” he replied, kissing the back of her neck as he finished with the zipper, “I'd like to stay with you for a while, if you don't mind.”

“Of course I don't mind,” she turned to kiss him gently.

“Won't you get tired of me?” he teased.

“We've known each other from more than 5 years. I haven't gotten tired of you yet, why would I start now?” Pepper responded in kind; she didn't want to ruin the light and cheerful mood by admitting exactly how much it meant to her that Tony was staying.

“You are most unique, Pepper dear,” the genius borrowed her pocket-mirror to make sure all the bruises were covered, “if anyone could grow weary of my dashing good looks and irresistible charm, it would be you.”

She laughed, taking back the mirror to tuck it into her purse. Pepper unplugged her phone, checking her work email while her boyfriend's back was turned. She knew Tony didn't like it when she brought work into their bedroom, figuratively or literally, but she wanted it to be an easy day for him at the company, regardless of what he could handle. Though technically, she wasn't his assistant anymore and he never asked her to do any assistant-like tasks, Pepper couldn't help 'fixing' things behind his back.

“Come-on, Pep,” Tony appeared behind her before she'd realized he'd moved, massaging her shoulders gently, “there will be plenty of time for you to work later.”

Pepper leaned back into his hands, allowing him to dig deeper into her tense muscles. Just as she felt her eyes drifting closed, his hands disappeared. “Wow, you need a full blown massage. I'm talking head-to-toe, scented candles, oil, the whole deal,” he smiled.

“That sounds nice.”

Tony chuckled, kissing her cheek. “Tonight. All of the above. I promise. But first... coffee!”

“And work,” she muttered to his back as he made for the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

Clint and Natasha returned to the Tower tired but otherwise satisfied. Their mission had been quite simple and short, both due to the ease of the task and the agents' skill. Natasha had gone in first and extracted the two hostages, while Clint distracted the target and then delivered a warning that the man wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon. The debrief was fairly quick as well, and no complications meant very little paperwork, so the two agents made it back in record time.

Though they returned together, Clint was called away from the Tower almost immediately to do something at one of the training academies, leaving Natasha alone in the common-area/kitchen. Grabbing an apple from the bowl on the island, the red-head decided to check on Steve. She didn't know exactly what he'd overheard that prompted him to attack Tony, but from what she'd managed to coax out of him, she knew the blonde wouldn't be over it yet.

Sure enough, Natasha found Steve punching a bag of sand, several broken ones lying in a corner; clearly he'd been there for a while and had yet to work out his feelings. “Have you ever tried yoga?” she asked, sitting down on one of the broken bags.

“What?” Steve turned to her, breathing heavily.

“It's supposed to help you relax,” Natasha offered, “also improves flexibility.”

“I. Don't. Need. To. Relax.” The super-soldier punctuated ever word with another jab at the punching bag.

“How about meditation?” She took a bite out of the apple.

“Do you have a point to make, Romanoff?”

“My point is that, from what I can tell, Director Fury spent as much time with Tony growing up as Howard did, if not more. They may not be particularly fond of each other these days, but you aren't going to just get away with beating Tony up, especially for something he didn't do. And Fury is not a man whose bad side you want to be on.”

“So I'm just supposed to let Stark get away with doing whatever he wants,” Steve asked, though his question was definitely rhetorical, “I know he's a millionaire, but that doesn't excuse forcing himself on a woman, even his assistant.”

“He's actually a billionaire, and she's not his assistant anymore,” Natasha corrected, “I assure you, Tony didn't force anything on Virginia.”

“You didn't hear what I heard,” he replied shaking his head.”

“What did you hear, then?”

“I heard the two of them arguing and Ms. Potts clearly stating that Stark doesn't understand consent.”

Natasha sighed, taking another bite from the apple and eating it slowly before she said anything else. “Word for word. What did you hear?”

Steve finally moved away from the punching bag, turning to face her completely. “She said, 'I can't be here until you understand the concept of consent.' How much clearer could it have been?”

“Well, you could have heard her screaming and saying no,” Natasha suggested.

Steve'a expression made it obvious that didn't appreciate the joke, and frankly, the agent knew it was more than a bit distasteful. “There's more than one situation in which she might have said what she did,” Natasha amended.

“Like what?” Steve put his hands on his hips, “give me an example.”

For a long moment, the spy was torn between wanting to change Steve's assessment of the situation and not wanting to reveal information that Tony kept deliberately private. Eventually, after eating another few bites of her apple, she did respond. “Perhaps Virginia wasn't the one who didn't want to participate,” she said carefully.

Steve looked confused for a second before his expression of anger and exasperation returned in force. “That's not how these things work,” he replied slowly, “she was barely dressed, crying, and running from the room.”

“And did you see or hear Tony at all?”

“He was there. She addressed him by name.”

“I'm not arguing that point,” Natasha felt like she was talking to a child and not a particularly intelligent one either, “what I'm saying is that she may have been crying and barely dressed, but you didn't see what state Tony was in.”

The super-soldier turned back to the punching bag, taking several more jabs at it before he spoke. “What are you getting at?” he asked.

The agent didn't say anything for a moment, working her way around the circumference of the apple in small bites. “Let's put aside what may or may not have happened between Tony and Virginia, not that it's any of your business anyway, and talk about how you reacted.”

Steve sighed. “I know I shouldn't have lost control like that, okay?”

“That's a start. But tell me, did she ask for your help, did she ask you to defend her honor?”

“Ms. Potts didn't have to ask,” the blonde replied confidently, “I was happy to help.”

“Jeez, you're dense,” Natasha muttered under her breath before raising her voice to address Steve, “you didn't help. You made the situation worse.”

“What do you want from me, Romanoff? I won't apologize to Stark. He deserved what he got.”

The agent stood, “this is ridiculous,” she declared, throwing the apple core from hand to hand like it was a baseball, “I'm done with you.”

Walking towards the door, Natasha heard Steve return to punching the bag, but she didn't turn around. She hadn't slept since before the mission and a nap sounded really nice.

 

* * *

 

Tony was surprised by how easy his day ended up being. He suspected that Pepper had tampered with his schedule and commitments, but he figured that since she was CEO and his girlfriend, it wasn't worth arguing about. When he finished his meeting with the head of R&D, Tony made for her office, sitting in one of the plush chairs there as he waited for her return.

After a minute of thinking, the genius stood. “Tell Pep I'll meet her at home,” he said to the nearest secretary-like employee.

Though he had the ingredients at the house to cook the dinner he was planning, Tony still needed to go shopping and get back before Pepper returned from work. Given how often she stayed late, he didn't think getting home before her would be at all challenging. He needed candles, lotion, and scented oils.

Tony eventually found what he was looking for at a shop called House of Intuition. Personally, he thought that astrology and whatnot was a bunch of hooey, but he new better than to say anything about that when he entered a place that had an exhaustive selection of alter supplies. Settling on a bottle of jasmine essential oil, one of jojoba oil as a “carrier,” whatever that meant, and several prayer candles, he was in the car heading back fairly quickly.

“How does one give a massage using essential oils?”

“Please be more specific, Sir,” JARVIS replied.

“Well, I know how to give Pepper a massage,” Tony explained, “but I've never done it with anything other than lotion.”

“Perhaps you should have researched this before purchasing essential oils for massage use.”

“Not helpful, Jay.”

“My apologies, Sir,” the AI didn't sound contrite in the least.

“I'm fairly sure I didn't program you with sarcasm,” Tony muttered under his breath, “can you just give me some guidelines?”

“Actually, Sir, you wrote more than a few pages of code for that exact purpose.”

“Guidelines for giving massages with essential oils. Go.”

As Tony continued to drive, JARVIS instructed him on how to go about “giving a sensual massage she'll never forget.”

“First of all, many different sources emphasize setting the mood as essential to getting what you want out of the experience, Sir.”

“What do I want to get out of this experience, specifically?” Tony asked as he pulled into the garage.

“Many articles on the subject suggest a massage as powerful foreplay.”

The inventor stopped in his tracks. When he didn't respond, JARVIS spoke again. “Lighting and music are listed as primary aspects of setting the mood. AC/DC is specifically listed as the opposite of the what one wants in this situation.”

“Got it. No AC/DC,” Tony replied, still trying to figure out how the night would end, “you can be in charge of the music.”

“I will do my best, Sir,” JARVIS agreed, moderately concerned about his creator's response to his last suggestion; usually Tony would at least say something about AC/DC being ideal for all situations.

Sighing, Tony started walking again, heading for the kitchen. He left his briefcase and suit jacket on the hall table, rolling up his sleeves to begin making dinner. “Alright Jay, what's next? Tell me about the actual massage part.”

“A myriad of techniques exist Sir, but I judge that a combination of simple compression and Shiatsu would work best for both you and Ms. Potts.”

“Okay...”

“Some general rules to abide by include applying the oil to your hands rather than her skin and to make sure your hands are warm before doing anything.”

“Yup,” Tony acknowledged, “other than that it's like a regular massage?”

“Many sources indicated that starting with the neck and shoulders is a good way to get things going before working your way down to the buttocks. Alternately, other sources suggest starting with the feet and moving up the legs until-”

“You can stop right there, buddy,” the inventor interrupted, “if I didn't know better, I would think that you were trying to get me laid.”

“Sexual intercourse is proven to reduce stress and promote intimacy between partners,” JARVIS replied, “if you are adverse to performing a leg or back massage and progressing to the buttocks, another possibility would be to work over the shoulders and continue by massaging the chest.”

“Careful there,” Tony warned his AI.

“Sir, do you not wish to engage in intimate relations with Ms. Potts?”

“Of course I want to,” the inventor sighed, “I just don't want to have the consent talk with her again.”

“If I may, that is a very important conversation to have.”

“I know, I know. I just want her to be happy. Why can't she just take what she wants? Why is she making it so complicated?”

“Is it not also important that you get what you want in the relationship, Sir?”

“I don't know,” Tony sighed, “I guess it is, but I'm willing to sacrifice to keep her happy. This relationship is one of the best things that's ever happened to me.”

“Sir, consent and open communication are...” JARVIS began before he was interrupted.

“We are not having this conversation again, Jay.”

“As you wish, Sir,” the AI began playing Enya's Sail Away.

“Seriously?”

AC/DC's Back in Black began to play.

 

* * *

 

Dinner went over well; both Pepper and Tony enjoyed the food, and they talked about everything and anything. Well, almost anything. The elephant in the room sat quietly, taking up slightly more space every minute. When the meal was finished, Pepper stood up, clearing the dishes. “I'll clean up,” she offered, “you go relax and I'll be up when I'm done.”

Though he was tempted to argue, Tony needed the head start to light all the candles and whatnot. He'd set up everything else earlier, even changed the sheets, but he hadn't wanted to risk setting them on fire by preemptively lighting the candles.

By the time Pepper came upstairs, Tony had taken a very quick shower and was wearing lounge pants with an open casual button-down. Surveying the candles and hearing the Enya playing softly in the background, the CEO knew that Tony had decided to go through with his suggestion of a full body massage.

Taking off her jewelry, Pepper allowed Tony to unzip the back of her dress and help her out of it. “Is this your way of asking for a massage?” she questioned, though she already the answer.

“This is for you, babe,” he replied, smiling softly, “that is, if you want it.”

“How could I say no,” she shed her undergarments, lying down on the bed.

Pepper had actually briefly considered saying no, they really needed to talk, but she had a high stress job and it took more strength of resolve than she currently possessed to resist the charm of Tony Stark.

He started with her feet, working his way up her legs slowly, stopping to reapply the oil every so often. It smelled like jasmine and felt absolutely heavenly. It amused Pepper that while Tony might forget her birthday or that she was allergic to strawberries, but he remembered the chief ingredient in her favorite perfume and that she didn't like coconut on or in chocolate. Additionally, while he got her flowers often, Tony had never once bought tulips; she had no idea how he learned about that particular dislike, but she wasn't complaining.

Pepper's body and mind were floating as she relaxed into the massage and the atmosphere. Tony was working his way down her back, and somehow he was finding every knot and dispersing it. When he got to her butt, Tony paused. “Is this okay?” he asked.

“S'okay with me if s'okay with you,” she murmured in response.

The inventor continued, gently massaging each cheek before slowly sliding one hand between her legs. “Is this okay?” he asked again, waiting for her assent before doing anything else.

Pepper's entire body felt loose and warm, and she was so blissfully unaware that she almost missed the question. “Yes please...” she whispered.

Tony continued to finger her gently, still massaging with his other hand. Eventually Pepper couldn't take the buildup anymore and she pushed him off, flipping onto her back. “Just fuck me already!”

“As you wish,” he replied shucking both pants and shirt.

Soon, his briefs were gone as well and he was lining himself up with Pepper's entrance. She could see him start to ask for permission again, but she stopped him with a kiss, pulling him down on top of her.

It wasn't until later, when Tony was sleeping peacefully in her lap, that Pepper realized she hadn't asked him if he was okay with everything that was going on. She cursed under her breath and punched the mattress beside her, nearly waking Tony up. _He started it_ , she told herself, _he made all the first moves and asked for consent, that has to mean he was okay with it._

Logically, Pepper knew that Tony had enjoyed himself and she was 99% sure he was okay with everything that happened, but she couldn't help wondering, “what if he wasn't?”

“Earlier today, Mr. Stark explicitly stated that he was okay if the massage turned into more intimate relations,” JARVIS told her.

“I didn't realize that I was thinking aloud,” she replied quietly, shifting her body into a more horizontal position while taking care not to jostle the man in her arms, “did I screw this up again?”

“Ma'am, I was not 'present,' so to speak, for the more personal parts of the evening, however I judge that you have not done anything to violate Mr. Stark's consent.”

“Thank you, Jarvis.”

“Goodnight, Ms. Potts.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think, especially about Steve's mindset and the ongoing discussion of consent by all characters.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More conversations - some progress is made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its short but its an update

As expected, Tony wasn't in bed when Pepper woke up, his side of the bed cold. She felt wonderful, physically, but her feelings were twisted seven ways to hell. The night before she had really meant to continue the consent conversation with Tony, but he'd distracted her with a massage and sex and they'd never got around to having the conversation. Pepper knew him well enough to know that last night's activities were not without an ulterior motive.

Grabbing her phone, the CEO texted her assistant, saying that she would be a few hours late to work. As much as Pepper loved her work and valued it, some things were more important, namely continuing the consent talk with Tony. Message sent, she headed for the workshop where Tony had undoubtedly been for hours.

“Morning Pep,” the inventor said without looking up.

“Good morning,” she replied, hugging him from behind, “how long have you been up?”

“Who knows,” he muttered, “I had an idea.”

“Since 4:27AM,” JARVIS supplied helpfully.

Pepper sighed. She knew that Tony had difficulty sleeping, especially since “New York,” but it still bothered her that he would often go for days without more than a few hours rest. “What're you working on?”

“Solar panels. There has to be a way to make the manufacturing and maintenance cheaper. How are we supposed to run the world on sustainable power if most people can't afford it?”

Pepper glanced over the holographic schematics. “So you decided to redesign from the bottom up?”

“Essentially.”

“How does taking a break to have breakfast with me sound?”

“Mmn,” Tony replied noncommittally, “give me a few minutes.”

“Okay,” she pecked him on the cheek, “JARVIS, make sure he's out of here within the hour.”

“As you wish, Ms. Potts,” the AI responded, raising the volume on his creator's music as Pepper headed for the door.”

 

* * *

 

Back upstairs, Pepper busied herself in the kitchen, making coffee for herself; she knew that Tony would be longer than a few minutes and as such if she made coffee for him now, it would be cold by the time he arrived. “JARVIS?”

“How may I be of assistance, Ms. Potts?”

“Do you think it's my fault this happened?”

“I'm sorry, I need you to be more specific.”

Pepper shrugged, assuming that the AI's camera's would pick up on it. “Is it my fault that Rogers misunderstood and hurt Tony?”

“Responsibility for Steve Rogers' action rests firmly on Steve Rogers' shoulders.”

“I guess, but still...”

“Ms. Potts, it was not your fault that he misunderstood the situation and acted rashly and violently. It was his decision to attack Sir.”

“I know that... it just feels like something I should have anticipated.”

“I fail to see how you would have anticipated such a reaction,” the AI argued, “in this instance, Captain Rogers' actions were entirely unreasonable. Were he acting rationally, he would have inquired into your well-being the next day and asked about the situation before taking any action.”

Pepper didn't say anything for a while. Eventually, she moved to the living room and opened her laptop on the coffee table. “Please get Steve Rogers in front of a computer screen,” she requested.

Within a few minutes, a video call opened on Pepper's laptop. “Ms. Potts,” Steve greeted.

“We need to talk,” she told him.

“Of course. Is this about that night...”

“I don't know. You tell me. I am calling to tell you that what you did to Tony the next day was absolutely unacceptable. Violence is never an appropriate way to address anything between coworkers. If you ever hurt Tony again, I will not hesitate to remove you from his life. He might not kick you out, but I will,” Pepper felt like she was explaining something to a child, “do you understand that, Rogers?”

“Ms. Potts, I was simply defending you. I was taught to stand up for-”

“I am perfectly capable of standing up for myself, thank you very much. Are you saying that you attacked Tony because of the conversation between us that you overheard?”

“Yes, of course. Rape is never acceptable, even between romantic partners.”

“I know that. Tony knows that,” Pepper's voice was colder than a Canadian winter, “he would never force himself on anyone.

“But I heard-” Steve didn't finish his protest before the CEO interrupted.

“You heard one sentence out of a very complex conversation. You made assumptions where you shouldn't have and you acted without thinking.”

“Ms. Potts-”

“No. I don't want to hear another word, Rogers. If and when Tony comes back to New York, you will apologize sincerely and you will not ask for an explanation. Should anything remotely like this ever happen again, I will ruin you,” before he could respond, Pepper ended the call.

“JARVIS?”

“What can I do for you, Ms. Potts?”

“I feel the need to punish Steve Rogers. Nothing too obvious though. Any ideas?”

“Leave it to me.”

“Thanks JARVIS.”

 

* * *

 

Tony didn't make it out of the workshop for 75 minutes, but he did eventually arrive in the kitchen. “Sorry babe,” he smiled sheepishly.

Pepper didn't reply, instead handing him a mug of coffee and guiding him to the island where she'd left a plate of breakfast. Ideally they would have eaten together, but the CEO liked her food hot and her boyfriend was rarely on time.

In the middle of his second bite of toast, Tony looked up. “Aren't you late for work?” he asked, “I'd never call you out for slacking, frankly you deserve some time off, but you're usually there early.”

“I told them I'd be a little late.”

“Oh.”

“Tony, I want to continue the consent talk,” Pepper sat readjusted her seat on the stool across from him.

“I figured.”

“Let's start with last night.”

“What about it?” Immediately the inventor's face turned worried, “you didn't want that? I could have sworn I heard you say yes...”

“Oh honey, that's not what I meant. Last night was wonderful for me. I'm want to know how you felt.”

“It was amazing,” he smiled and took another gulp of coffee, “I loved every minute.”

“Okay. That's good...”

“I feel like there is a 'but' coming.”

Pepper stood to grab a banana from the counter. “Not really. I do want to discuss what you told me last time we had this conversation.”

“About the girl in college? Did you change your mind? You're disgusted. I get it....”

“No! Stop jumping to conclusions,” she returned to the island, “I still mean everything I said then. Do you want me to repeat it?”

There was a long pause and then Tony looked up from his plate but wouldn't meet Pepper's eyes. “If you don't mind,” he whispered almost imperceptibly.

“I'm not disgusted. I love you and I want you and nothing you could say would change how I feel.”

“Thank you,” Tony was still essentially whispering.

“About that girl, though. You said the relationship ended after a few months, but were there others like it?”

The inventor was no longer eating, his fingers tearing at the toast. “Yeah, I guess.”

Pepper had to repress her reaction so as not to ruin the semi-open line of communication. “Tell me?” she asked gently.

“I don't know what to say, Pep. What do you want to hear?”

“Why don't you think that what you want matters? Who made you believe that?”

“Dad probably,” Tony chuckled bitterly, “what I want isn't the most important thing in the world, who cares where the realization came from?”

“Then what is? What's important?”

The inventor thought for a while. “I just want the people I care about to be happy and safe. If I have to make sacrifices, so be it.”

Trying not to start crying again, Pepper pushed Tony's plate closer to him. “Eat,” she instructed.

“Yes Ma'am,” he saluted jokingly and began to nibble at his breakfast again.

“Tony?”

“Pep?”

“I don't know how to fix this. I want you to be safe and happy. It upsets me to see you doing things that don't want to for my sake.”

Tony's fork clattered on his plate. “What am I supposed to do with that?” he asked quietly.

“I don't know, I'm sorry. I just wish you'd stop taking people's crap without comment, without fighting back. Why do you let people hurt you?” Pepper let the tears fall.

“It's easier that way,” Tony couldn't help shedding a few tears of his own, “I don't know how to stop.”

At some point, breakfast was abandoned and the couple moved to the couch, curling into each other's arms. For a long time, they sat their and cried together.

 

* * *

 

“Natasha?” Steve called, knocking on door to the agent's suite.

“Agent Romanov is not in the building,” JARVIS informed him.

“Oh,” the blonde headed for the elevator, “do you know when she will be back?”

“I do,” the AI didn't say anything further.

Steve sighed. He wasn't sure if it was possible for a computer to be angry, but if JARVIS had been human, he would have no doubt that the other was mad at him. All set to give up and go brood in his own room or destroy a few more punching bags, Steve turned to the elevator only to have the door slide open and reveal the red-headed agent that he was looking for.

“Need something?” she asked, letting him into her suite.

“Stark's girlfriend called me this morning,” he informed her.

Natasha chuckled, beginning to strip out of her uniform, much to Steve's embarrassment. He turned away while she changed which the red-head found to be even more amusing. “What did Virginia have to say? Did she thank you for defending her honor?”

“Not exactly. She was mad at me.”

“No shit, Rogers. You sort of decked her boyfriend for no reason.”

“I had a reason,” Steve protested, following Natasha out of the room and back to the elevator.

“A really bad one.”

The two stood silently in the elevator as it descended. “Explain it to me,” the super-soldier requested as they were stepping out.

“What do you need explained?” Natasha couldn't help messing with the man a little more, it was just too fun to watch him turn red as he struggled to verbalize his confusion.

“You said, and I quote, 'perhaps Virginia wasn't the one who didn't want to participate.' What did you mean by that?”

“What part was unclear?” the agent flopped gracefully back on the couch.

For a long moment, Steve struggled to find the right words. “Did you mean that... Stark... was the one saying no?”

“I was informing you that it was a possibility, yes.”

“Oh.”

“Look, Steve. In a heterosexual relationship, both the man and the woman need to consent. It doesn't matter who has which parts. If one partner doesn't want to participate in intimate activities and the other continues irregardless, that's sexual assault at least, if not rape.”

“If Stark didn't want to... you know... why didn't he just say that? Or push her away?"

“I'm no psychologist,” Natasha sighed, “understanding why people do what they do isn't in my job description, I just know how to utilize their behavior patterns. Does that make sense?”

“Not really,” Steve collapsed into an armchair.

“You don't need to understand, you just need to accept that Tony didn't do anything wrong this time and for the future, Virginia can look after herself. Don't go around punching people when you don't know the full story. Got it?”

“Yeah,” he stood and began to pace, “I'll apologize when he comes back.”

“Good,” Natasha stood as well, heading for the elevator, “because if you ever do something like this again, there will be consequences. Tony might not even fight back, but he's got plenty of dangerous people in his corner, whether he realizes it or not.”

Without another word, the spy exited, leaving a confused super-soldier to ponder what powerful friends Tony Stark was hiding.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think?  
> I honestly am not sure what I'm doing with this fic anymore and I'm debating abandoning it. I'll do my best to finish, but idk if I'll be able to,


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korean BBQ and an assessment of fictional villains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's been so long. i have no inspiration

As expected, when Pepper returned from work, Tony was holed up in the workshop and had been for several hours. “Let him know I'm home,” the CEO instructed JARVIS.

“Of course,” the AI replied, “would you like the daily report?”

“Yeah,” she smiled, “how's he doing?”

“Sir's vitals have remained within the normal ranges for the duration of the day. He has consumed 1500 of the ideal 2800 Calories/day, 534 Calories from breakfast and the remaining 966 from smoothies throughout the afternoon. Sir's caffeine intake was in the form of approximately 30 ounces of black coffee. Workshop activities consisted primarily of modifications to the Iron Man armor, however 1.5 hours were spent reviewing blueprints from the Stark Industries Research and Development department.”

“Thanks JARVIS. I don't actually need that much detail, you know.”

“What information shall I exclude in the next report, Ms. Potts?” the AI responded politely, though Pepper could tell he was teasing her.

“Never mind. I'd like Korean tonight. Please place the usual order.”

“Is Janchi Korean Barbecue and Bar an acceptable source?”

“Yes it is. Thank you,” Pepper made her way to the bedroom, removing her jewelry as she walked, “what is the time estimate?”

“Approximately one hour.”

“Sounds good,” the CEO lay down after changing into more comfortable clothes.

 

* * *

 

About an hour later, Pepper was woken by a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Rise and shine, sleeping beauty,” Tony joked, “the food's here.”

The two of them made their way to the kitchen where the inventor had heated and laid out their dinners. For the duration of the meal, conversation was light and amusing, primarily consisting of stories about the bots' antics throughout the day. Pepper vented about work and the Board after dinner when the couple was relaxing by the pool, but they didn't touch on the more serious topics until they were both getting ready for bed.

“Do you think it's ugly?” Tony asked out of the blue, “Unsightly? Off-putting?”

“Huh,” Pepper turned to glance at him from where she was removing her light makeup.

“You know, the reactor... And the scaring... Does it bother you?”

She came over, sitting beside her boyfriend on the bed, allowing one hand to trace the scars that littered his bare chest. “It doesn't bother me,” she assured him, massaging his shoulder gently, “just reminds me how strong you are. How much you've survived.”

“And that's not off-putting?” he pressed, leaning forward slightly to casually display the scaring on his back and shoulders, “all the shit that's happened?”

“No, honey,” Pepper said gently, “it makes me sad sometimes, but that's all.”

“Sorry?” he asked, half question, half apology.

“It's just so unfair,” she leaned into his shoulder, “no one should have to survive what you have over the years. You deserve better.”

“Eh, that's debatable...” Tony began.

“No it's not,” she interrupted, “you are smart and kind and generous and principled, and you deserve to be happy.”

“You're pretty great too, Pep,” Tony murmured, relaxing into her arms.

“Are we okay?” he spoke up again after a minute or two.

“I think so,” Pepper replied tentatively, “I'm still concerned and we've still got some talking to do, but we love each other and we're trying to fix things, so yes, I think we're okay.”

“Do you want to talk about it now? I'm fine with putting it off, but I'm also gonna head back to New York soon,” the inventor admitted, “if you don't want to talk about it, I can think of plenty of other things with which we can occupy our time.”

The CEO laughed lightly, but her face turned more serious as she looked down at the man in her lap. “I'd like to talk now. Some stuff can wait until later, but not all of it.”

“Alright,” she could feel him sigh, “what specifically do yo want to discuss?”

“So last time we talked about how you just let people hurt you and don't fight back,” Pepper did her best to control her emotions, “how you deal with other people is not something I can control, now matter how much I want to sometimes. That said, it scares the hell out of me that you don't say no to me when you don't want something, sex specifically, but also everything else.”

“You want to be assured that if I'm not feeling it, I'll tell you and if I think we should try veganism, I'll also tell you,” Tony surmised.

“Essentially,” Pepper chuckled, running her hands through his hair, “and if you are considering veganism, I'll support you, but I'm not trying it.”

“It was just an example,” the inventor laughed, “no veganism for me.”

“Right. But you'll do that? You'll tell me if you want or don't want something?” the CEO refocused the conversation.

“I'll try.”

“That's all I can ask for.”

“Since we are having this conversation...”

“Yes?” Pepper wasn't quite sure what to think, but she tried to remain open-minded.

“How would you feel about maybe... one day... having a mini Potts-Stark?”

The CEO choked on air, coughing several times before she managed to speak. “I'm up for that, but you're gonna have to at least propose first.”

It was Tony's turn to choke on nothing. “I'm working on that...” he mumbled.

 

* * *

 

“Agent Barton, another job well done,” Agent Coulson nodded approvingly.

“Thank you, Sir,” Clint did his best to hide his smug grin.

“The Director wants to see you.”

“Now? Like right now?”

“Now.”

Clint dragged his feet as much as he could, but eventually he did arrive at the office Fury was currently occupying. He entered when the door slid open, stopping before the desk and clasping his hands behind his back. For several moments there was complete silence and then the older man spoke up. “Have a seat, Agent Barton.”

“Sir,” the archer acknowledged the order, carefully balancing himself on the edge the nearest chair.

“You and Agent Romanoff have been spending quite a lot of time at Stark Tower.”

“Is that a question, Sir?”

“What's your read on him?

“In what respect?” Clint asked, wondering why he was the one being asked; his skill was assassination and activities of the like, profiling was more Natasha's forte.

“As a person, what do you think of him? As a consultant? As an asset? As a threat?”

“Umm,” the archer bit his lip, “I'm not really sure. He's smart I guess, like... he designs all the tech himself and whatnot. That AI of his... it's like a real person which is honestly kind of creepy.”

“JARVIS is very advanced,” Fury nodded, gesturing for the agent to continue speaking.

“He's very coffee dependent... Both him and his girlfriend are super tight-lipped about their private lives and about Stark Industries stuff. When I asked about the reactor tech, Potts just gave me the official statement. But I don't think Stark is much of a threat... at least not on a personal level.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, the other day, he came into the kitchen to get coffee and Steve punched him and made him spill the coffee on himself, but Stark didn't even say anything. He was bleeding but just got up and left.”

“And your analysis of the situation?” Fury asked calmly.

“I think Mr. Red White and Blue has got some issues. I mean he wouldn't even tell me what Stark did to deserve being pummeled by a super soldier.”

“Focus Agent Barton, I asked about Stark not Rogers.”

“I'm sorry, Sir. I really don't know. I barely see him. But isn't this more Natasha's thing anyway? She was the one you sent to spy on him before.”

“Which you weren't supposed to know about,” the Director commented, unsurprised, “what else can you tell me about Stark?”

Clint sighed. “I barely see the guy. Like after the whole thing with Rogers, he disappeared to do whatever it is he does in his workshop and the next thing I heard, he'd gone to Malibu.”

“Fine then. You are dismissed.”

“Yes Sir,” Clint replied, standing, “should I begin shadowing Stark?”

“There's no need for that, Agent Barton. Coulson will brief you on your next assignment tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

Unsurprisingly, Natasha was called to Director Fury's office later that day. She entered casually, seating herself without invitation. “Agent Romanoff,” the man greeted her.

“Director Fury,” she replied evenly.

“I assume you know why I wanted to speak with you.”

“I haven't the slightest, Sir,” she smiled coyly.

“Cut it out, Natasha. If there is something going on with Stark, I need to know about it,” Fury stared her down.

“You want to know about the incident with Captain Rogers.”

“I see you have spoken to Agent Barton. I can't say I'm surprised. So tell me what happened.”

“Rogers thought that Stark had tried to force himself on Ms. Potts. The good Captain chose to defend her honor.”

“Look Natasha,” Fury sighed, “we both know you've got a soft spot for Stark. And we both know that you aren't going to tell me anything personal about the man. So just tell me if we need to intervene.”

“That won't be necessary, Sir.”

“You know, I read a lot of books growing up.”

Natasha didn't reply. She was familiar with the Director's fondness for storytelling to make a point. It could be amusing or annoying, but she knew better than to interrupt given that he was her boss, or actually her boss' boss.

“What kind of books do you like to read? My favorites were always spy novels, adventure stories, unsurprising really.”

“I didn't have much time to read as a child,” the agent dialed back the resentment in her tone, knowing that the man hadn't meant to poke at a weak spot; not that the Black Widow had any weak spot.

“A story is only as good as it's villain, don't you think,” Fury continued, “sure, the heroes are well-meaning, virtuous, courageous, you name it, but the villains... they're usually smart. No colorful megalomaniac will ever be as stupid as the gentleman spy. Less skilled perhaps, not as careful, often lacking in basic morals or concern for humanity, but never dull.”

“Stark is eccentric, reckless, self-obsessed even, but he's not evil, Sir.”

“No one starts out evil, Agent Romanoff, you know that. But an amalgam of circumstance is never to be underestimated. He's already got the tragic backstory, all he needs is the right push.”

“Heroes tend to have tragic backstories as well, don't they?” Natasha challenged, standing, “we both know you don't really think Stark is evil. He's a threat, definitely, powerful, without a doubt, but you'd never oppose him unless it was in his own best interest.”

As the door closed behind her, Fury allowed himself to smile. Then he picked up his phone. “I want Steve Rogers in my office within the next 24 hours.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know if there are mistakes, this is entirely unedited
> 
> Tell me what you think, I have no idea what I'm doing anymore


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which people talk to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve comes off kinda horribly in this, sorry about that. Also Fury is a little weird in this chapter.
> 
> I tried to fulfill as many requests as I could, but i wasn't able to cover all of them.

“Captain Rogers. Do you know why I called you in?”

“No Sir,” Steve maintained a carefree, professional facade, despite his inner turmoil over what he'd learned in the past week, “is there a mission?”

“Looking for someone to beat up?” Fury asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Sir?”

“Haven't had a chance to beat up any bad guys recently, so you decided Stark was the next best thing?”

“That was a misunderstanding,” Steve frowned, “and it's a private matter. Is he complaining?”

Fury ignored the question. “You were given a information packet to get you caught up to the times, did you read it?”

“Of course Sir, how is this-”

“When did the Civil Rights Movement end?”

“In 1968 approximately, but how does this have to do with Stark, he wasn't even alive back then.”

“Take a seat, Rogers. I'm gonna tell you a story,” the Director gestured at the nearest chair.

“If you don't mind me asking-” Steve began.

“I mind.”

“Alright...”

“In 1968, I was 17 years old and I thought that the struggle was over. I had this crazy idea in my head that I'd be given the same opportunities as all the white kids my age,” Fury chuckled mirthlessly.

“But you weren't?”

“Look at that, you learned something by listening to someone who was actually there and knows the whole story,” the Director held up a hand to keep Steve from interrupting, “they'd gotten rid of the laws, most of them anyway, but that doesn't exactly change an individual's attitude.”

“Sir, I understand what you're saying, but-” Steve was again cut off.

“Let me finish. By 1974, I was working at SHIELD, albeit as a low level agent. I had to work ten times harder than any of the white folk to get to the same place. But I got there. At the time, being one of the agents assigned to Howard Stark's laboratory was a pretty sought-after position among the low level agents. Imagine how happy I was to be one of the five chosen.”

“It must have been quite the honor, Sir.”

“Right,” Fury scoffed, “when we arrived at the lab, there were six positions to be filled. Our superior officer told each agent where to go in the lab and what to do. I was the last one to get my orders, but there were still two empty positions, so I wasn't worried. Now what do you think I ended up doing?”

“I'm sorry, I don't understand the point of this story,” Steve shifted in his seat, “did you get the least desirable position because of your... you know...”

“You can say 'race,' Rogers, it's not a curse word. And no. My superior officer was an old man, set in his ways, so I didn't get assigned a lab position at all. I was put on babysitting duty.”

“Babysitting duty? I don't follow.”

“Summers, weekends, vacations, Paris Fashion Week,” Fury held back his smile, “whenever there was a little kid running around the lab, it was my responsibility to keep him out of Howard's way.”

“And that was Tony,” Steve finally understood, to a degree, “he must have been about three or four at the time.”

“Exactly. Babysitting a stuck up four year old. I resented that assignment. The other agents... there really wasn't anything they could do about our superior officer being a racist pig. But you know what? I couldn't have been more lucky.”

“I'm sorry, what?”

“You don't need to know the details Captain. Just remember this: objectively speaking, as a man, as a symbol, even as a soldier, Tony Stark is worth an entire army of you.”

Steve opened his mouth to protest or question, he wasn't sure which himself, but Fury spoke first. “That will be all, Rogers. Dismissed.”

 

* * *

 

Eventually the moment arrived when Tony had to return to New York. Technically, he didn't have to leave Malibu, but Pepper had a meeting with the New York branch of Stark Industries that she needed to attend in person and convinced him to accompany her. Though they came to the city together, they spent most of their time apart, the CEO busy with running the company and Tony busy with the many duties he'd been putting off since flying to Malibu.

It was inevitable that the inventor run into one of the spies living in his tower, it was just a matter of time. He would bet money on Natasha showing up first, but there wasn't anyone will to bet against him, so the idea was pointless. Sure enough, Tony had been in New York less than a week when JARVIS announced “Agent Romanov is approaching.”

The inventor decided to ignore the warning and continue messing around in the guts of the car he was working on. Whatever decision the AI made, he was okay with it. A minute later, Tony heard the door slide open and the tell-tale silence that was Natasha walking over. “I'm surprised you waited this long,” he commented, not looking up.

“I figured you could use some peace and quiet,” the agent took a seat on a nearby stool.

“Right. And the real reason is?”

“Work's been busy lately,” she offered noncommittally.

“Nice job in Romania by the way. I have to say, that dress was exquisite,” Tony wiped his hands off, standing up and grabbing the nearest coffee mug.

“Checking up on me?”

“Blonde really suits you. But I still prefer the red. Is that weird?”

“Have you spoken with Rogers yet?” Natasha was done with the small talk.

“He has yet to come find me,” Tony shrugged, walking over to the counter to rinse the mug in the conveniently placed sink, “as I value the structural integrity of my face, I'd prefer to avoid his fists in the future. I may have been a troublemaker in my youth, but getting punched by Captain America is where I draw the line.”

“What if he wants to apologize?”

“They taught him how to use a phone when they pulled him out of the ice.”

“Fair enough,” Natasha accepted the steaming mug of coffee she was handed, “how's Virginia these days?”

“She's doing pretty well, I think,” Tony chose to sip rather than gulp his caffeine for once, “stressed like always and busy with the company of course, but she wouldn't have it any other way.”

“You two got to spend some quality alone time together in Malibu?”

“Checking up on me?”

“I'm glad you worked it out,” Natasha smiled cautiously before her expression shifted from neutral-impassive to serious-impassive, “you did work it out, right?”

“For the most part,” the inventor replied honestly, “we'll get there.”

“I'll leave you alone then,” the spy made for the door.

“Pause,” Tony said suddenly, setting down his coffee, opening a seemingly random drawer, and pulling out a plan box, “what do you think?”

Natasha accepted the box tentatively, wondering what exactly the eccentric genius was up to and preparing herself for a jump scare. Rather than a prank, the box held a set of ornate and extremely sharp throwing knives that made the spy feel something akin to lust. “Picked them up in Osaka,” Tony offered by way of explanation.

“Are these for me?” Natasha asked quietly.

“Well I've got no use for them,” the inventor shrugged, gulping the last of his coffee and turning back to the car he'd been working on, “Jay, music please.”

The redheaded agent left the lab with a genuine smile gracing her features for no one but JARVIS' cameras to see. When a framed picture of said smile was gifted to Clint by Tony the next time she was sent on a solo mission, Natasha didn't comment.

 

* * *

 

Two weeks passed between when Tony returned to New York and when Steve finally managed to get the inventor alone. Initially, the super-soldier decided to apologize on the off chance that it would make JARVIS stop messing with him. Since his conversation with Pepper, doors, elevators, personal electronics, and even the shower had been malfunctioning thanks to the spiteful AI.

Though sucking it up enough to apologize seemed difficult, it was nothing compared to the effort needed to get Tony alone. The inventor was busy all the time, either with SI responsibilities, charity work, or whatever it was he did in his lab. The leisure time that the man did have was spent with Pepper when she could spare time from her job as CEO, with Rhodey on the phone, or working.

Steve's many failed attempts to find the inventor and apologize gave him a lot of time to ruminate on Tony Stark and the things various people had said about the eccentric man recently and in the past. Logically speaking, the super-soldier realized, Fury was right about the objective value of him self verses Tony. If Steve were to spontaneously pop out of existence, there would be some fairly large issues for SHIELD, the Avengers, and the American government. If Tony were to disappear, not only would there be problems with the aforementioned groups, but the international economy would take a huge blow, technological advancement would slow considerably, and numerous charitable endeavors would suffer or collapse.

Those realizations aside, Steve also had time to think about his behavior towards the inventor recently and since he'd met the man. He concluded that he'd made mistakes, but his ever optimistic nature convinced him that the damage was reversible. By the time the super-soldier actually got Tony alone, his apology was far more sincere than it would have been two weeks earlier.

Tony had run out of coffee in the lab and wandered down a few floors to procure more when Steve approached him with the ominous words, “can we talk?”

“That depends,” the genius didn't turn around, “are you gonna punch me again?”

“Actually I would just like to apologize,” the super-soldier felt guilt curl in his gut.

“Well this should be interesting,” Tony pushed himself up to sit on the counter next to the coffee pot, “I'm all ears.”

“First of all, I am sorry for physically assaulting you,” Steve began his speech, “regardless of the situation, a violent response was uncalled for, especially before attempting to discuss the issue. I was picked on by people bigger and stronger than me when I was a kid and I should know better than to do it myself.”

The inventor nodded, not saying anything. “Secondly, I acted upon minimal information and made incorrect assumptions about a situation that was none of my business, so I would like to apologize for that as well,” the super-soldier continued, “I will do my best to give you the benefit of the doubt in the future.”

“I'd appreciate that,” Tony replied as sincerely as he was able, “and just so you know, I would never force myself on anyone. That's wrong. I may be a conceited asshole, but I'm not that kind of person.”

The genius was gone before Steve could reply.

 

* * *

 

That night Tony decided to go to bed at a reasonable time, if only to make his mind shut up for a bit. After Steve's apology, he was feeling weird, not that he didn't appreciate the gesture, and didn't know what to do with it. He was used to people telling him how he'd been in the wrong and how everything was his fault, so a sincere apology from Captain America himself didn't seem right; it didn't fit in with normal behavior patterns.

Pepper interrupted her boyfriend's thoughts when she finally returned home from work and immediately headed to their bedroom. She'd actually had a decent day, but it bothered her that she hadn't seen Tony in several days due to scheduling conflicts. Thus she was pleasantly surprised to find him already in the bedroom rather than having to drag him out of his lab. “Is the world ending?” she asked jokingly as she began undressing, “it's 8:00PM and you aren't stuck working on something.”

“Maybe so,” the inventor replied, “Rogers apologized... I'm pretty sure that's a sign of the apocalypse.”

The CEO chuckled, coming over to the bed without putting on anything and settling herself beside her boyfriend. When she kissed him, Tony reciprocated, but when her hand slid under his shirt, the inventor pulled back. “I'm not really in the mood, Pep,” he whispered tentatively, refusing to meet her eyes.

“Thanks for telling me,” Pepper smiled, taking her hands off him and lying back against the pillows instead.

Their fingers intertwined, but otherwise, neither moved nor said anything. After a few minutes, the tension seemed to bleed out of Tony's body and he sighed deeply. The CEO squeezed his hand gently and was pleased when he squeezed back.

“Guinevere might be a nice name for a girl,” Pepper played with Tony's fingers, “we could call her Guin or Gwen so she wouldn't get teased at school.”

“I like it,” the inventor agreed, “especially if she has red hair like yours. I've always imagined Guinevere from Camelot as a redhead but she's always portrayed as a blonde or brunet.”

“If were talking redheads, we could go with Ginny. You know I've always been partial to the Harry Potter books.”

Tony chuckled. “If you've got your heart set on it, I could be persuaded. What about Peter? Like that kid I met when the Expo went kaboom.”

“But then what if you reconnect with that kid. That could get awkward.”

“What about Morgan?” the genius mused, leaning back against the pillows, “works for a boy or a girl.”

“Morgan?” Pepper repeated.

“Yeah. After your eccentric uncle.”

“I suppose we could consider it... but I'm still expecting a proposal first.”

“I know. I know,” Tony leaned over to kiss his girlfriend, “I'm working on that part.”

“What about Ana Maria?” the CEO suggested, “you know, after Ana Jarvis and your mother.”

“Also the woman who started Mother's Day. Her name was Anna Marie Jarvis.”

“Well, this would only be with one 'n' in Ana, and it would be Ana Maria Stark.”

Tony nodded. “I can get behind that,” he agreed, “but are we not gonna go for Potts-Stark?”

“We can work that out when the time comes, and you've still got a bit of work to do,” she reminded him.

“Point taken,” Tony allowed his head to rest on Pepper's shoulder, “I'll get right on it.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin


End file.
